The present invention is directed to a magnetic system for raising or levitating the body portion of the car to increase fuel efficiency, increase speed and reduce reliance on suspension systems. This system will help reduce “range anxiety,” depending on what variant the vehicle is made electric or ICE, as the system will increase the automobile's ability to run longer on a tank of gas or charge of electricity. The system uses magnetic energy to levitate the majority of weight in the vehicle reducing the total energy needed to propel the vehicle.
Use of levitation is currently implemented in high speed trains in Japan and Europe. However, when considering levitation in automobiles, the only concept of levitation discussed is the “train style” levitation that requires significant changes to existing roads. “Train style” levitation requires overhauling existing roads to a magnetic system similar to magnetic train tracks. Converting all existing roads into electromagnets is a very time consuming and expensive proposition.
The use of levitation has also been discussed in context of automobiles as part of a magnetic propulsion system. The focus of these prior systems is propulsion rather than levitation. Propulsion using magnetic fields when the wheel is in contact with the ground offers no additional benefit compared to the mechanism employed by an electric vehicle to move the wheels using power from a battery pack. Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) can achieve similar propulsion by converting fuel to electricity. Further, the propulsion mechanism adds a great deal of complexity that could make a car much more complex than a modern electric vehicle.
The present invention focuses on a magnetic system for levitation of a body portion of the car as opposed to using magnets directly for propulsion. The purpose of levitation in the automobile of the present invention is to transfer a substantial portion of the weight of the vehicle, except the wheels and associated mechanism needed for physical movement, to the upper part of the vehicle to substantially reduce or entirely counterbalance the weight of the upper part of vehicle through magnetic repulsion. By reducing the weight of the vehicle, the only part of the vehicle imparting its weight on the road is a base station which remains in contact with the road.